TikTok vs. Instagram

Abstract

This study examines how social media, specifically TikTok and Instagram, influences digital engagement and purchase decision-making among Generation Z and Millennials in Portugal. Its central objective is to understand how these platforms shape cognitive and emotional responses and, in turn, modify consumption patterns and decision-making dynamics. The study adopted a qualitative design with ethnographic elements. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese participants aged 22 to 35, and the data were analysed using IRaMuTeQ (R Interface for Multidimensional Analysis of Texts and Questionnaires), allowing a multidimensional exploration of participants’ perceptions, meanings, and behavioural tendencies. The findings show that TikTok is perceived as a dynamic, spontaneous, and highly stimulating environment that drives more impulsive purchase intentions through algorithmic personalisation and short-form, emotionally engaging content. In contrast, Instagram is viewed as a socially curated and aesthetically oriented space that supports more intentional, reflective, and rational decision-making processes. While the study’s limited sample and geographic concentration (Coimbra and Porto) restrict the generalisability of results, the ethnographic approach provides rich and contextualised insights into the nuanced ways social media platforms shape young adults’ consumer behaviour. By offering a comparative analysis of TikTok and Instagram, this research advances the emerging discussion on digital and influencer marketing and highlights how platform-specific characteristics interact with engagement, emotional responses, and purchase-related decisions in contemporary social media environments.